As I sit here writing my first ever "blog" I am reflecting on the past 18 months and just can't believe how fast the time has gone and how much change has happened. Just over 18 months ago, I was working full time in the vocational industry, in a career I had held for over 30 years. Fashion retail wasn’t even on my radar.
A dear friend of mine happened across a tiny shop in the coastal suburb of Sandgate here in Brisbane and said this is a perfect retirement opportunity for you. Now at 55, I felt I was years away from retirement, although of course, it would be nice, but my husband was talking of retirement so I guess it was on my mind. The shopfront was pretty close to home, and situated only 500m from the bayside, and being a coastal girl myself, it is as close to the ocean as I can get living in Brisbane.
After doing some research, upon reflection, not nearly enough, I decided to take a chance on myself, quit my job, and with the support of my amazing husband, leased an established store. However, it wasn’t the right fit and didn’t align with the vision I had for a business. So, with help from my husband, daughter and parents, we cleared it out, sold and donated the old stock, shut it down and refurbished the space before launching Bayside Elements in December 2024.
Serendipity moment
One of my favourite memories of this time, happened completely by chance. While researching the history of the building, I came across an old online article that mentioned previous tenants and discovered that in the 1950s the premises had operated as a dress shop called Val De Lee Frocks. The name immediately rang a bell. Curious, I called my mum and asked her the name of the dress shop where she had worked in Nambour when she was young. Without hesitation, she replied, "Val De Lee Frocks." I couldn't believe it. Mum told me that Val would close the Sandgate store on a Wednesday and visit the Nambour store. There was also a store in Rowes Arcade in Brisbane City, they stocked Sportscraft, and would tailor dresses for their customers, of which were sewn right here in Brisbane. Right then, I decided that it was meant to be.
A whole new world
I had my heart set on securing some key brands to have in the store, focussing on Australian Designers. What I didn't know was just how different the fashion industry was from anything I had experienced before. Suddenly I was learning about agencies, wholesale buying, indent ordering, collections, minimum spends, territory restrictions and brand approvals. I naively thought if you liked a brand, you simply called them up and ordered some stock. Hilarious, no, far from it.
Thankfully, a handful of brands and agencies took a chance on me and slowly our stockist list began to grow.
As I was opening, there was a twist of fate, a conversation, and then I was a stockist of Alémais, I had to wait a few months for it to come in, due to the ordering timelines, but this opened up a whole other world. I now have brands coming to me to be stocked in Bayside Elements, now being the only or one of a select few, Brisbane retailer of many brands. This really just blows my mind, and while it doesn’t come naturally for me to say, I am proud of myself for what has been achieved in such a short period of time.
Key memories
Over the past 18 months there are so many memories, but significantly here are a few:
Winner of a Small Business Award
Attending trade shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Las Vegas
Sourcing trips
Presenting runway for Melbourne Cup Day on the Gold Coast and being a judge for Fashions on the Field.
Hosting fundraiser for Share the Dignity Charity
Supporting many local events and businesses
Australian Fashion Week in Sydney
First high-end fashion runway (being second row behind buyers from the Iconic)
Building relationships with agencies, brands, community and customers
I have made mistakes, like a lot, being an emotive shopper myself, I have overspent on collections, because I absolutely loved everything. I am still trying to work out what works and what doesn’t. I have said yes way too often, and am gradually learning the power of saying NO.
At times my confidence has wavered. There have been times when I have cried, questioned everything, and seriously wanted to give up, shut the doors, get a normal job, and retire gracefully in ten years. But whenever those thoughts creep in, my husband, daughter, family & friends remind me how far Bayside Elements has come in such a short period of time. They see the growth, the impact the store has had on our customers and community, and they believe wholeheartedly in both me and the vision behind the business. Their unwavering support has helped me push through the difficult days and continue building something I am truly passionate about. Looking back, I can see that every challenge, setback and lesson has played a part in shaping the business into what it is today, and while the journey hasn't always been easy, I am incredibly proud of how far we've come and excited about what lies ahead.
So the sleepless nights (whether it is stress or menopause, I’m still not entirely sure)
Leaving a well paid career
Working seven days a week
Having the house overrun with clothes and boxes
The overwhelm
The imposter syndrome
Being constantly being “ON”
Learning about websites, social media, buying, the world of fashion, tax and the list goes on – is it worth it???
That is a 100% ABSOLUTELY YES!!!! I really do enjoy learning new things, and I just love curating amazing collections for the store, and get so much joy from seeing customers walking out with a smile on their face after they have found their perfect outfit or product they have fell in love with. I still get excited when someone walks through the door for the first time and discovers Bayside Elements. It truly makes me so happy (it really pleases the people pleaser in me!). I have loved getting to know our customers, and now have many return customers, who are back for every event and new collection launch, or just when they are popping next door for a coffee. Oh gosh, and when I receive an online order from all corners of Australia and overseas, it just makes my heart soar. We have now shipped to every state across Australia and internationally to New Zealand, USA, Italy, England, UAE and India, the list keeps growing. Every order reminds me how far this little store in Sandgate can reach.
Looking ahead
As we launch our beautiful new website (thank you to Kassi and the team at Kartia Designs), I can’t help but feel excited about what is to come. Definitely, more incredible collections. The Resort collections I have seen from Alemais, Hansen & Gretel, SPELL, Morrison and Rowie are absolutely stunning.
Hopefully Fashion Week in Paris (fingers crossed), more events, more opportunities, more learning, many new collections, continued growth, meeting more beautiful customers. Oh and retirement… it is still a long way off. For now, I’m having way too much fun growing Bayside Elements and seeing where this journey takes me.
Thank you for being a part of my journey. Hope to see you soon
Helen x